App limits continually disappear in Screen Time

Apparently they removed my original post because I used the word b3ta. So here it is with that word changed...lol.

Just an update from my end - I'm on the latest public release (16.6) and my kids are on the b3ta (17).

I tested remotely changing some of the times set on their devices and watched it as it flipped back to the original time right before my eyes. I tried this multiple times and finally - after multiple attempts and reboots - it stuck (for now) though it's been only 12 hours or so. Usually these changes are wiped out and reverted within 24-36 hours, so I'll follow up again later to note whether that's still occurring as well.

Tested changing the screen time password remotely - that didn't stick even after a multitude of tries, rebooting phones, etc.

Setting App Limits was as flaky as the Time changes above. Eventually could get them to show up/change, but eventually wouldn't stick after 24-36 hours.

So...I'm guessing this is still just something they don't really care too much about fixing which is crazy considering this is supposed to be an issue of child safety.

I logged my son’s phone back in with his Apple ID and greatly simplified the limits down to one for all apps. The fix has worked for 24 hours.

The same thing is happening to me. All devices have been updated to latest software, restarted all devices, and tried adding limits from different devices. Nothing works, the app limits continually disappear just about every day. Content restrictions also will be turned off as well as downtime. This is very bad for families that rely on Apple’s family control and safety.

This is driving me crazy too. I have a 9 year old and an 11 year old. They can go crazy with explicit language music and search for anything on the web when this lifts. Thankfully they are usually letting me know. But like other posters I’m checking daily now.

Not good for families at all and driving me crazy. Thankfully Microsoft isn’t having this issue as well.

I’m having this issue as well with my daughters iPad. Literally nothing is saving even though I haven’t done anything different than what Ive been doing for a long time.

Not only that, but our family sharing has completely crapped the bed. My husband and I share Apple Music and iCloud storage and to do this we had to add him as a family member which isn’t an issue at all. The issue is the fact that we’ve had it set up in the settings/iCloud/purchase shenanigans since it’s become a thing from the beginning.. So you can imagine our frustration when it suddenly decided to go crazy and treat him as if he were a young child by requiring my permission to even download a free app. Don’t get me started on what it’s doing to buy an app. I don’t know what Apple has done but this need to be fixed because absolute insanity doesnt even come close to explaining how much of a headache it truly has been tonight.

Apple is great when everything is functioning properly, but the times that it isn’t, it never fails to be something that lasts for weeks at a time messing up settings, the actual functionality, heck Apple music will glitch like what you’d imaging hearing if you were listening to a scratched cd. Skips like nobodys business. (The Apple Music is the app that hasnt ever decided to work out its kinks. It’s been doing this for coming on a YEAR yall. Ugh)

& the fact that he’s on his own separate Apple ID with payment set up and has been since 2020 as well as our phones recognizing that he’s an adult, he still can’t do crap.

I would love to know why they have caused so much chaos when things were fine, literally perfect, before they had to go screwing with it.

• excuse my frustration. It’s probably super obvious but this is nothing like how I’m actually feeling. Please please fix this. This is nuts.

I am having this issue almost hourly. I can have my phone and my daughters phone right next to each other. I will set the screen time and app limits on my phone and they get applied almost immediately.

within a few minutes, and with no one touching either phone, all app limit and downtime restrictions disappear from both my and her phone.

This just started happening over the weekend 1/13-1/16. It’s making it impossible to manage their devices.

I am having this issue also

1. screen time limits were off (and I had just changed the password so he did not know it)
2. Based on when the issue started, I also believe this is realated to the 16.2 release
3. the app approval emails are not being sent
4. my son’s name in family (on his phone only) is showing as ‘Mom (me)’
5. Pokémon Go is not responding to ANY a screen time limits - even downtime.

I have removed Pokémon Go from the phone (temporarily) and for now disabled the App Store and set one limit for all apps to simplify the process.

Please fix this soon

Good luck- I don’t believe that is the root of the issue and am surprised apple support doesn’t realize that. They’ve tried a bunch of stuff with me and not a single thing works. Ive discovered that if I only control things from my kids devices it works pretty well. If I only make changes to down time from my phone it seems to hold, but adding actual app limits throws it off for days. Downloading apps via family sharing causes immediate chaos, with controls rapidly shifting in front of my eyes. If I only add apps originally purchased by their own accounts it seems to have a Less chaotic impact, but the internet and app stores have shown up magically on one device. For the first time, though, the parental controls for the Content on internet seems to have stuck! It’s random and it’s effed.

I have had this issue reoccurring for months. Only to find that people have marked the responses from those with the same issue as helpful. Those are helpful resolutions. Don’t to that or it won’t appear as a problem for Apple! We need to bug the Apple Store so this issue gets tracked.

Apple fully admits they are aware of the screen time issues. If they are truthfully trying to fix it…who knows?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2023/08/02/apple-ios-16-ipados-16-iphone-ipad-bug-screentime-bug-new-iphone-problem/amp/

I’ve found an app called Kidslox. Better than apple’s screentime but it does have a subscription or lifetime purchase. It is very good so I am considering using it and ignoring screen time altogether

That’s super frustrating that this ended up being your issue. Why would they even add another feature that literally does nothing but cause us a bunch of nonsense.

literally I’ve become so frustrated tonight alone that I’ve decided I’ll get cloud storage elsewhere & a music plan on Spotify or something if this crap doesn’t fix itself by tomorrow. I’m done with it. It’s too much stress for something that was working perfect for a long time to suddenly decide to go NUTS.

This is causing major conflict and trust issues in our family. I discovered the app limits were completely gone on both my son's devices a week ago (I wasn't being consistent with monitoring that the settings were IN PLACE...shouldn't have to!!). The newly installed app limits notified my son and he confessed to finding my screen time passcode about a month ago to remove the limits - trust compromised. Ok, so new app limits were in place and after a week, I checked again last night and they were ALL removed again! My son swore up and down he didn't do it this time and I opted for the original punishment for the first offense after telling him I was considering doubling the consequences. After resetting the limits last night, they were ALL gone again this morning! Finding this thread and seeing that I'm not alone and this has been an ongoing issue with Apple, is very, very frustrating. Apple fix your sh*t!!

It makes me seriously consider switching all our devices to Android. Never thought I'd say that but this is a major breach of confidence. Our children are our #1 priority and concern for their safety and now we can't even rely on Apply to assist as promised.